Former Irish tennis player Owen Casey believes vulnerable young players could be susceptible to the lure of match fixing.
The BBC and Buzzfeed uncovered evidence of widespread match-fixing by players at all levels in professional tennis.
A group of 16 players, all of whom have ranked in the top 50 at some stage. The suspected match-fixing was orchestrated by gambling syndicates in Russia.
The names of more than 70 players appear on nine leaked lists of suspected fixers who have been flagged up to the Tennis Integrity United over the past decade without being sanctioned.
Casey represented Ireland at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. He told 98FM’s Sport Jamie Moore that money can compromise the integrity of a cash strapped young pro:
Casey believes most of the match fixing occurs at the lower levels of the professional game. He believes the easiest way to stamp out the cheating is to focus on the players.
Casey reckons increasing prize money would mean struggling pros would be less likely to have their head turned by a bribe:
